Year: 2009
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Considering the importance of vehicle brake systems, it is surprising\nhow little is known about the way that people operate them. Previous\nergonomic studies have attempted to define the maximum acceptable resistance\nto depression in the pedal (Diffrient, Tilley, & Harman, 1993; Eaton &\nDittmeier, 1970). Accordingly, they focussed on the responses of weak (5\npercentile muscle strength) female drivers and little is known about the full\nrange of braking response. A re-examination of this basic control mechanism is\nnecessitated by the evolution of vehicle systems. The present paper offers an\noverview of a study measuring driver “pedipulation” in a naturalistic\nenvironment. Fifty-eight fully-licensed drivers drove a car for a day. The types\nof trip analysed included commuting to work, shopping, and picking up\nchildren from school. Measures taken included throttle pedal angle, brake pedal\npressure, and clutch pedal pressure. The foot well was constantly video\nrecorded during each trip. Main results are presented and comparisons with\nearlier studies are discussed.
Authors: Νικόλαος Γκίκας, John Richardson, Julian Hill
Language: English
Subfield: Human Factors and Ergonomics
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W159960778